"Ah! that is good news, if it suits you all at Roselands," said Grandma Elsie.
"As I think it does, cousin," returned the doctor. "At all events they all seemed pleased; which I think is particularly kind in Sister Mary and Cal."
"Yes," said Rosie, "and I hope and believe the Crolys will prove so agreeable as guests, or boarders, that they will never regret it."
"So do I," Arthur said; "also I think that the Crolys will find us all so agreeable that they will never regret it."
"Won"t you alight and take a seat among us, doctor?" asked the captain hospitably.
"Thank you; I should enjoy doing so, but duty calls in another direction, a sick patient needing prompt attention. Good-evening to you all"; and, turning with the last words, he drove away.
"So, Rosie, you are likely soon to be able to make the acquaintance of your future mother-in-law," said Violet. "But you don"t seem alarmed at the prospect."
"No; because I am not. From all Will has told me I think she must be a lovely and lovable woman; as he thinks his future mother-in-law is."
"And as all to whom she bears that relation can testify," remarked the captain with an affectionate, appreciative glance at the sweet face of Grandma Elsie.
"I, for one," said Mr. Leland heartily; "and I feel entirely sure of Zoe, the only other one to whom she bears that relationship."
"You are all very kind, very ready to pa.s.s my imperfections by,"
responded Mrs. Travilla"s sweet voice. "And if I am a good mother, I can a.s.sure you that it is at least partly as a a consequence of having good sons and daughters."
"May you always be able to say that, mother," responded the captain heartily. "It would be a sorry sort of man or woman who could be any other than a good son or daughter to you."
"Oh, Lu!" said Evelyn presently, "didn"t you tell me you were going into the city to-morrow to do some shopping?"
"Yes; but we did it to-day, in order that I might have to-morrow free for the picnic. We all went to the city and had a very pleasant and successful time."
"Shopping is apt to be very fatiguing work," said Grandma Elsie. "I see Grace looks weary. Dear child, if you feel like retiring, do not let our presence hinder you for a moment."
"Thank you, Grandma Elsie; but I don"t like to miss a minute of your call," returned Grace, exerting herself to speak in a lively tone.
"I"d like to tell about what we bought," said Ned, "but I suppose I must not."
"Better wait till you have the articles here to show, my son," said his father.
"Yes; we had to leave them to be marked; but Aunt Rosie will see them some of these days," said the little fellow.
"And she is very willing to wait till the right time comes," Rosie said, putting an arm about him and giving him a kiss; for he had gone to her side.
"I"m afraid it will be a good while to wait," he returned. "Papa was so kind, he gave us--Elsie and me--each ten dollars to do what we pleased with. Lu and Gracie had a good deal more, "cause they are older, you know, and----"
"There, that will do, Ned," laughed his mother. "It is your bed time.
Say good-night to grandma and the rest, and Elsie and you and I will run away for the present."
The callers did not stay very long after Violet"s return to the veranda, and soon after their departure the captain held his evening service and then advised Lucilla and Grace to retire at once, that the coming day might find them fully rested and refreshed.
They obeyed with cheerful alacrity, and arose the next morning feeling none the worse for the exertion of the previous day.
Chester came promptly at the appointed hour, found Lucilla ready for the excursion, and they drove away in fine spirits. Chester spared no pains to make himself agreeable to his companion, but was careful not to do or say anything of which her father could disapprove. He brought her home again before dark, slightly fatigued, but gay and lively, with much to tell of the pleasant experiences of the day.
"Did Rosie go?" asked Grace.
"Yes, and was very merry; indeed, so we all were. We were rowing about and fishing most of the time."
"Both at once?" queried her father with an amused look.
"No, sir; we kept still enough while trying to catch the fish, and we caught as many as we could eat, then landed, made a fire,--the young men did, I mean,--cooked the fish, made coffee, and we had our dinner. We girls spread a tablecloth on the gra.s.s and got out the good things in the baskets. They were in great plenty, quite a variety, and all very good and palatable. I think the air and rowing had given us all fine appet.i.tes so that everybody ate heartily and seemed to enjoy it."
"And you were not sorry you went?"
"No, indeed! I am much obliged to you, father, for letting me go," she added, turning to him with a look of love and grat.i.tude.
"You are very welcome, daughter," he said, "and I am glad you enjoyed it. There is an old saying that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," and I think girl nature does not differ in that respect."
"Oh, you dear papa! none of your children are ever allowed to have all work and no play," she exclaimed, giving him a look of ardent affection.
"You take a great deal of trouble to give us pleasure; you always have."
"Yes, indeed," said Grace; "it seems to be papa"s greatest delight to give pleasure to his wife and children. Don"t you think so, mamma?"
"Indeed I do," returned Violet heartily. "I have never known a more generous or unselfish person than my husband and your father."
"And what shall I say?" queried the captain. "That when I am the person under discussion no greater flatterers can be found than my wife and older daughters?"
"Oh! we will excuse you from saying anything on the subject, sir,"
laughed Violet.
"Now, what kind of a time did you all have staying at home without me?"
asked Lucilla. "I hope you have missed me a little."
"Of course we did," replied Grace.
"Your father missed both his daughter and his amanuensis," said the captain.
"Oh! there were letters to be answered?" she exclaimed. "Please let me do it now, papa?"
"No, dear child, I answered them myself; and if I had not I should not let you work to-night, after all the fatigue of the day."
"You are so kindly careful of me and all of us, papa," she said with a grateful, loving look into his eyes. "I am somewhat tired, but not too much so to use the typewriter, if you wanted any work done on it. It is such a pleasure to be of even a little service to my dear father."
"And such a pleasure to your father to be served by so dear and loving a daughter," he returned; "one so valuable to me that I cannot consent to have her broken down with too much of either work or pleasure. You must go to bed presently and try to take a good night"s rest after the exertions of the day."
"I am ready to go whenever my father bids me," she said in a cheerful tone; "and I want to begin my night"s sleep early enough to be ready for my usual stroll with him about the grounds before breakfast."
"Yes; I should be sorry to have to take that without the pleasant company of my early bird of a daughter," he said. "I should miss her sadly."
Lucilla"s eyes shone. "Thank you, papa! it is very nice in you to say that," she said, "and I dearly love those early walks with you."